FCIAC boys player of the week: Joey Zelkowitz

by Jesse Quinlan
on
Fri, Nov 30, 2012 9:04 AM

Updated Fri, Nov 30, 2012 1:01 PM

Photo by David Hahn

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Staples senior Joey Zelkowitz has been named the MSG Varsity's FCIAC Player of the Week for Nov. 19-24 by a panel of athletic directors and MSG Varsity reporters.

Zelkowitz took MVP honors as the Wreckers repeated as FCIAC football champions with a 48-30 victory over Greenwich on Thanksgiving Day.

Zelkowitz racked up 317 rushing yards to set a new record for the FCIAC final. That number broke the mark of 229, set by Greenwich’s Steve Longo in 2001. Zelkowitz had the record by halftime, as he rushed for 260 yards before the break.

Zelkowitz carried the ball 20 times in the contest and scored on TD runs of 61, 58, and 22 yards. Zelkowitz also had five tackles on defense while playing in the secondary.

Staples, which is 10-0, is the No. 1 seed in the CIAC Class LL tournament and takes on Norwich Free Academy in the state semifinals on Sunday.

What's your biggest athletic goal for 2012-13?
Zelkowitz: "To get back to UConn and win a state championship."

Who is your favorite teammate and why?
Zelkowitz: "The offensive line because I know they're always going to block for me and have my back."

What's the best piece of advice you've received?
Zelkowitz: "Our coaches tell us to go 1-0 every week and it has carried us to this point in the season."

Which athlete is your biggest influence?
Zelkowitz: "Ray Rice. He's a smaller running back but he runs hard so I try to learn from his style and use it on the field."

What's your proudest accomplishment away from the game?
Zelkowitz: "Committing to Middlebury for lacrosse. I was so happy to be able to continue to play another sport at the next level and hopefully continue playing football there as well."